O is for...

Otter

Fun Fact: Otters are actually in my Top 5 list of favorite animals. The otters thick fur enables it to stay warm even in near freezing waters. The otter's five toed webbed feet make then extremely adept swimmers. Their back feet are slightly larger giving then a "flipper" effect. The otter is an amazing fisherman. Consuming fish and crustaceans as well as lizards and other land animals. It is good that it finds food easily because, though small, the otter eats 20% of their body weight daily.

 

N is for...

Numbat

Fun Fact: Also known as the banded anteater the numbat is a marsupial found in Western Australia. These cute little animals eat an almost exclusive diet of termites. It loves its food so much it patterns its sleeping habits around when the wood eating insect is most active. Due to habitat lose these furry friends are on the endangered list. It is estimated that there are only 1500 numbats left in the wild.

M is for

Mongoose

Fun Fact: Mongoose are small rodent-like animal that resemble meerkat. Found in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe. This animal has an interesting trait. Mongoose seem to be almost immune to snake venom. The battle between these two creatures was made famous by Rudyard Kipling.

Movie Recommendation

Based off of a short story in Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. I loved this movie as a kid. The music and situation are more serious than your average animated feature, but the hero is to this day one of my favorites. I recommend watching with your kids if you have not seen this before.

Thanks guys see you tomorrow.

L is for...

Lionfish

(The above comic is not a factual representation of Lionfish...carry on.)

Fun Fact: Though not a large fish the lionfish have spines that release a venom which is quite potent. These fish are very territorial and intimidate other creatures with their outlandish looks. 

It is also an invasive creature. Originally from India and the Western Pacific, they were brought to Florida as an aquarium fish. After a hurricane destroyed a few tanks they started to appear around the lower coast of Florida and have now spread all the way to Long Island, NY. 

Writing Prompt

The diving bell worked. Thomas thought I was insane to try it, but the scientific benefits of diving so low were amazing. Besides after that mess with the lion fish I needed new means to research this vast and stunning world. My foot still ached at the thought of that spiny creature.



Thank guys see you tomorrow. 

H, I, J, K is for...Internet?

So before I start. The past few days I have been fighting with my internet/provider to try and get service back. It has not been fun. This has caused me to miss a few days of A-Z and not get around to see all of you. Instead of just losing those days I am going to at least post the pictures I drew.

H is for Hummingbird

I is for Ibis

J is for Jellyfish

K is for Kingfisher

Fun Fact: While some Kingfishers use tree hollows, others actually nest in tunnels they dig in the ground. Their tunnels can be as long as 26 feet with their nest at the end. Both male and female birds incubate their eggs which can hatch in 3 to 4 weeks.

See you guys Monday for our regularly scheduled program.

G is for...

GREAT WHITE

Fun fact: Great Whites can grow as long as 20 feet, weigh up to 500 lbs and has a mouth sporting 300 teeth. With these numbers it is easy to see why they rule as predators of the ocean.  Besides humans the one natural predator this apex hunter has, is the orca whale.

 A documented incident in 1997 showed an orca female holding a great white upside down to induce tonic immobility. After fifteen minutes the orca ate the dead shark's liver. It is believed that the scent of the dead shark caused all other great whites in the region to flee the area. 

Writing Prompt

Sorry for the lack of writing prompt today. I will have one for you all tomorrow.

Thanks see you all tomorrow.

F is for...

FALCON

Fun fact: Falcon's can dive at 200 mph making them the fastest creatures on the planet. Its tapered wings make it very agile in the air. This combination of speed and agility leaves very few predators. Of course humans are among the few killing this beautiful creature. 

Writing Prompt

"I did it uncle. I trained him." The young boy held his falcon on a gloved hand.

"I see," Herald said. "This is a special day then."

Herald watched the boy smile and run back out into the field. He'd helped him learn to be a falconer. Now he would have to make him a king.

Thank you guys. See you tomorrow.

E is for...

Emperor Tamarin

Fun Fact: Eperor Tamarin are a group of "bearded" monkeys. They received their name from a resemblance to the German Emperor, Wilhelm the second who sported a similar mustache. Two thirds of the females are trichromats(see three colors), this allows them to find fruit easier. The groups of mostly male monkeys are lead by the oldest female.

Writing Prompt

George cut through the thick brush his note pad in hand. Carter was close behind mumbling something about the heat. George was about to push forward when a chirping sound caught his attention.

"Oh wonderful. Do you see it there in the tree? Don't forget to catalog this in your notes," Cater said.

"Of course. Tamarin monkey, approximately—"

Carter cleared his throat. "Emperor."

"Pardon me?" George asked.

"This is an Emperor Tamarin." Carter smiled up at the primate. 

George raised an eyebrow. "And what makes it so tyrannical?" 

Carter sighed pushing past George. "I would hazard a guess that it has something to do with its beard. Anymore questions or shall we continue?"

George smiled. "Just one. What is so hazardous about a guess?"

Carter threw up his hands and pushed through the foliage. George chuckled, penning a few more notes and followed his brother deeper into the forest.  

Sorry for the late entry it was a long morning with the new born. 

Thanks everyone see you tomorrow. 

D is for...

DORMOUSE

Fun Fact: A small rodent mostly found in Europe. 100 years ago they were often found as pets in the country side, made famous through the Mad Hatter's tea party in Alice in Wonderland. These days the species is in decline as more of its habitat is destroyed. There are actually houses made for them people can buy, like bird houses, to help the animal survive. 

Writing Prompt

Henry stepped over the fallen log. Leaves crunched at his feet. He stopped making sure no one was in pursuit. He was being paranoid. There is no way anyone knew what he'd done. The bag felt heavy in his hand. He shouldn't have taken it. No, it was too late to think that way. He would go forward bravely. A sound behind him caused him to let out a scream and throw the cloth bag into the air. Composing himself, he scrambled on the ground to retrieve the bag. A small dormouse squeaked at him from a short distance away. No one else was present. With a chuckle he thought to himself, I will be brave, starting now. 


Thanks everyone. See you tomorrow. 

C is for...

Caracal 

Fun Fact: The caracal is a wild cat found widely in Africa, central Asia and Southwest Asia into India. Its most notable feature is the tufts of black hair that extend from the ears. The caracal has 20 different muscles in its ears to help let it detect prey. Preferring not to eat stiff fur, it actually shears it's prey before eating it. (Kind of a morbid fact...)

Writing Prompt

My body was lithe and strong. The ground moved swiftly underneath me. I could feel the pendant still hanging from my neck that allowed me to take on the form of the caracal. My ears twitched at the sound of tiny claws scratching in the brush. A wild hare burst from the foliage, scattering dirt as it fled. It took a considerable amount of will to not chase it. I couldn't stay in this form long without risking the animal taking over. I needed to find what I was looking for. There was no time to waste. 

Thanks everyone. See you tomorrow.

B is for...

Butterfly

Fun Fact: There are about 24,000 species of butterfly. Many of them can taste their own feet to find out if a leaf is good enough to lay their eggs on. 

Writing Prompt

Carol opened the gate to her new garden. He had built this place for her. His spirit was here. His love. Butterflies moved through the air like floating flower petals. This place was truly a bit of magic.

Hey guys. I am going to do a quick IWSG post as well. If you would like to join up, go here.

For this month the main issue or insecurity I have is lack of time. With a newborn in the house my schedule is ever changing. I don't want to drop off with my creativity. I think that A-Z is actually helping me with that. I have a deadline to make sure something is up every day. It lets me stay creative. 


Thanks everyone. See you tomorrow. 

A is for...

ALLIGATOR 

Fun Fact: Being born in New Orleans I am no stranger to this large reptile. Something I didn't know is, our friend "el lagarto" uses its powerful tail to create "gator holes" to retain water in case of a drought.

Writing Prompt

Dan's boat drifted through the murky water. He could see the tops of alligators as they lounged like fallen logs in the Abita river. Such a solitary life they seemed to lead. He longed for such simplicity. Unburdened from the obligation of knowing others he might find some measure of happiness. It was a moot point. He had such obligations and tonight he would see them through.


Thanks everyone. See you tomorrow.